This document summarizes and discusses several research methods used in psychology: case studies, surveys, and naturalistic observation. It notes that case studies examine individuals in depth but results may not generalize, while surveys can gather data from many people but are impacted by question wording and require representative samples. Naturalistic observation involves watching and recording behavior in natural environments. It also defines correlation as a measure of how two factors vary together, distinguishing between positive and negative correlations, and noting correlation suggests prediction but not causation.

1. Chapter 1Research: Case Study, Surveys, and Naturalistic Observation

2. Case StudyExamines one individual in great depthExample: study of people who have lost specific abilities after damage to certain parts of the brainCan be misleading because individuals involved in case studies may be atypical

3. SurveyLooks at many cases in less depth, asking people to report their behaviors or opinionsWording of questions can greatly impact the results of a surveyShould the government be able to censor television programs?Should violence be allowed to appear on children’s television programs?Sampling- for an accurate picture, you need a representative sample (a small group that accurately reflects a larger population)Random sample- a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion

4. Survey- continued Problems with surveysVolunteer bias- people who volunteer have different ideas than those who would not volunteerPeople are often not honest They may answer in a way to please the interviewer

5. Naturalistic ObservationA way to describe behavior by watching, recording, and analyzing it in a natural environment

6. CorrelationA measure of the extent to which two factors vary together and thus of how well either factor predicts the other Positive correlation- shows a direct correlation, meaning that two things increase together or decrease together As children get taller, they also weigh more Negative correlation- shows an inverse relationship, as one factor increases, the other decreasesLow self esteem equals higher depressionCorrelation can help us predict but does not show causationDoes low esteem CAUSE depression?